Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 232
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 232
52. Rondel's Transformation (3)
To me, this was a proposal I had no reason to refuse.
At least when it comes to matters related to Earth, I can take the wheel from Rondel.
"That's a good idea. No one is more fitting than Grand Duke Lawrence, who was the first to notice this situation."
Moreover, since Emperor Edward's proposal was also the scenario Emperor Mikhail had hoped for, he readily agreed as well.
Seeing the reactions of those two, I also nodded, and thus I became the head of the alliance organization.
"Understood. I'll do my best."
Only Emperor Edward himself knows what he was thinking when he made this proposal.
However, the emotions marked on the Myriad Mirror for him are tinged with betrayal and anger.
Since betrayal and anger are not emotions he should feel toward me in this situation, I can only take it as a sign that his disappointment in the goddess is that great.
"I'm sorry. It seems I've only stirred up both of your hearts for nothing."
My apology was directed at the Saintess and the Holy Son.
Ibril, the Saintess, recovered surprisingly quickly and gave a bitter smile.
"It was a good experience. This has made my convictions even firmer."
She said something incomprehensible.
The five of us were currently standing at the top of the Path of the Goddess, the sanctuary.
When I asked her what she meant, Ibril simply gave a faint smile and began descending the Path of the Goddess without a trace of regret.
Unlike Ibril, however, Holy Son Jihad could not easily shake off his shock.
It seemed the image of the goddess showing no consideration for Rondel had been quite a shock to him.
As the head of the church that serves the goddess, that was only natural to understand.
If anything, Ibril's reaction seemed overly light.
"What... on earth have you done...?"
I tried to place a hand on the Holy Son's shoulder and ask if he was alright, but he suddenly asked me as if muttering to himself.
"What?"
As I looked at him with confusion, asking what he meant, the Holy Son glared at me sharply.
Then he confronted me.
"His Highness the King of the duchy's actions are a challenge to the church."
Of course, all of this had come about because of me.
So, out of basic decency, I apologized to those who had learned an unwanted truth.
But wasn't it the goddess, not me, who had caused this in the first place?
I only confirmed the facts with the goddess.
Can this truly be called a sin?
"Do you mean the Holy Son thinks we should have simply passed by without knowing the goddess's plans? Regardless of whatever harm might come of it?"
"If that is the goddess's will, then of course so. But because His Highness the King dug too deep, all those who accompanied us have had animosity toward the goddess planted in them. This is disloyalty."
I'm sorry, but I am not a fanatic who would accept even death as the goddess's will, so I found it difficult to understand his way of thinking.
Thanks to that, I had to make a bewildered expression at the Holy Son, and Emperor Edward also showed discomfort, as if he shared my thoughts.
"That's a stretch."
"What did you say?"
"The Holy Son is currently venting his anger at an innocent person."
The one he faced was none other than the Emperor of the Bringham Empire.
Even if he were the Holy Son of the great church that spans the world, one could not simply ignore his words either.
In the end, the Holy Son merely glared at me before starting down the Path of the Goddess, following Ibril who had descended earlier.
'I have a feeling he's going to cause trouble.'
I'm sorry to him, but I am not the same as before.
Meaning I'm not the kind of person to waver or grovel at the Holy Son's reactions.
I exchanged glances with the two emperors and shrugged.
The two of them also shook their heads at the Holy Son's behavior and began to move.
-Click, click, click, click!
Naturally, as we stepped out of the sanctuary, a deafening barrage of camera shutter sounds rang out.
That made sense, because the Goddess's Stairs were a sanctuary known to be traversable only by the Saintess and the Holy Son.
The only exception was the anecdote of Grand Duke Lucas ascending in his lifetime to speak with the goddess and that exception occurred once again today.
Moreover, since those who had met the goddess were the leaders representing Rondel, anxiety was rising among the reporters.
"Your Highness the King of the duchy! What on earth is going on?"
No matter how holy this place was, a commoner reporter could not dare to ask a question to a king without permission.
That was just how serious the situation felt to them.
When I looked at the reporter who had asked the question, he flinched hard, but then steeled himself and met my gaze with steady eyes, asking for my answer.
A reporter with a strong sense of professionalism.
Pleased by his demeanor, I said something I normally wouldn't have.
"It looks like a major incident will occur. But don't worry too much. I'll do my best to resolve the situation smoothly."
The reporters were speechless for a moment, but soon the camera shutters rang out noisily again as questions poured in from all sides.
Once I gave an answer to the first reporter's question, it was as if the floodgates had opened.
"I'm sorry, but this is all I can disclose for now."
However, I didn't open my mouth any further to satisfy their curiosity.
I then moved along with Emperor Edward and Emperor Mikhail, and we returned to the original meeting hall.
* * *
"Hmm..."
"Is it not to your liking?"
I shook my head at Count Elfried's question he had been kidnapped by Blake but was now released.
"No, I like it. But I can't help feeling a bit burdened."
Right now, we were looking down at a massive port city from the sky.
As a 9th-circle mage, and with Count Elfried, the Intelligence Chief of the Bringham Empire, also being a 7th-circle Grand Mage, it was more convenient to fly directly than to ride in a car.
So what we were doing now was...
"Why should you feel burdened? That city is the domain that Grand Duke Lucas once ruled. So it's only natural that Your Highness, the Grand Duke Lawrence, as his official heir, should inherit it."
The Emperor of the Bringham Empire had decided to grant me the former Grand Duchy of Lucas, and I was inspecting the domain.
The city below our feet was 'Alcantra City,' an imperial domain of the Bringham Empire with a population of six million.
Including the surrounding satellite cities in the same region, the population easily exceeded ten million, and this area corresponded to seventy percent of the land that Grand Duke Lucas had ruled.
"His Majesty the Emperor said that the remaining thirty percent of the domain has already been granted to the former retainers of Grand Duke Lucas, so he asks for your understanding."
"This is more than enough. And the retainers who served Grand Duke Lucas naturally deserve that much."
Honestly, even this alone was too much.
To suddenly receive a grand territory from the Bringham Empire, far away from the king (of a duchy)'s domain I directly ruled.
How did things end up this way? It was because, while bargaining with Emperor Edward over the Opportunity, he had made an unexpected proposal.
'You don't want to give up the Opportunity you've gained, and our Bringham Empire can't let go of Grand Duke Lucas's legacy. Then let's do this.'
'I'll have you succeed to Grand Duke Lucas's position. Then you'll also become part of our Bringham Empire, so wouldn't that solve everything?'
An unexpected proposal to be the king (of a duchy) of the Rainhatz Empire while also receiving the grand duke title of the Bringham Empire.
This was the only way Emperor Edward proposed to resolve the situation amicably without major conflict.
It was such an unexpected proposal that I couldn't help but be taken aback at the time.
'Even if your homeland is the Rainhatz Empire, don't forget that the source of the power that built your authority was forged in our Bringham Empire. Surely you don't want to stand against your master's nation?'
It wasn't entirely unheard of for one person to hold titles from two nations.
But in such cases, the title from one side was usually honorary in my case, however, I would hold strong real power in both places.
Since this was an unprecedented exceptional appointment, I thought talk was inevitable from all sides.
What was more disconcerting was that Mikhail, the Emperor of the Rainhatz Empire, also stepped forward in approval, calling it a good idea.
So I had to ask the two of them.
'What if I change my mind later? What would you do then?'
Excessive power concentrated in one person could stir a bloodbath.
In the future, it would become a massive burden on both Imperial Families.
But their reaction to this was far too optimistic.
'Then the two Imperial Families can cooperate to suppress you it might actually be easier that way.'
'So Grand Duke Lawrence is both a bridge uniting the two nations, and at the same time, a special subject of oversight for both.'
It sounded like they were using me to build camaraderie with each other, but I had no reason to refuse when they were handing me power on a silver platter.
And so, with the approval of both emperors, I became both a king of the Rainhatz Empire and a grand duke of the Bringham Empire.
However, the reaction of the Rainhatz Empire's citizens was not particularly favorable.
[This is seen as handing Grand Duke Lawrence over to the Bringham Empire. It is a clear misstep by the Imperial Family.]
But if you think the Bringham Empire's reaction was any better, it wasn't.
[He is a man with a very strong Rainhatz national consciousness he could easily shake the Bringham Empire from within.]
Those reactions seemed to speak for my own concerns.
But setting aside the citizens' reactions, what surprised me was how quiet the nobles were.
I expected a bit more of an uproar...
Count Elfried provided the answer to that question.
"There are not a few who view the grand duke title bestowed upon Your Highness the King as an alliance with the Rainhatz Empire."
"Is that so?"
"Nobles are what they are. Surely they've all run the numbers. In the end, they've judged it not a bad deal. They intend to ride on the Rainhatz Empire's growth potential and reap the benefits."
"And from the Rainhatz Empire's perspective, they gain the Bringham Empire as a solid backing, so they have no reason to refuse either?"
"Correct."
If the nobles hold such thoughts and welcome this situation, then only I, caught in the middle, am going to suffer.
From now on, whenever problems arise in either nation, they'll all come to me.
That would further strengthen my power, but since the two emperors aren't fools, they'll likely keep me under thorough surveillance.
"Do you like the domain?"
"Of course. Cross Brave Bay by sea and you're right at the Duchy of Lawrence, so it makes me appreciate how well-positioned the Duchy of Lawrence is."
The Kingdom of Lucias sits between the Bringham Empire and the Duchy of Lawrence.
By land, you'd have to pass through an entire nation, making travel to my territory seem difficult, but by sea, you only need to cross the bay, so it feels surprisingly close.
"Then please sign the documents."
So I signed the domain transfer papers without much hesitation, and Count Elfried let out a sigh of relief with a pretty smile.
"It's truly an honor to meet Your Highness the King in the Bringham Empire. In fact, I've been a fan of Your Highness for a long time."
"Haha, thank you."
I'd heard her nickname was the Ice Princess or Ice Witch whoever came up with that got it wrong.
"Oh, by the way, I'll likely be assigned to the 'Rondel Peace Organization' as well. I look forward to seeing you often."
"Is that so? I look forward to working with you."
The Rondel Peace Organization is the name of the allied body comprising the Bringham Empire, the Rainhatz Empire, and the two duchies of the Rainhatz Empire.
Pairing Count Elfried, the Intelligence Chief of the Bringham Empire, with Count Gregory, a Special-rank Member of Blue Moon, is expected to produce tremendous synergy.
The Rondel Peace Organization is still in its early formation stages and hasn't officially launched yet, but plans are in place to bring in major nations like the Prius Republic and the Elysian Coalition to expand its scale further.
In other words, I had no doubt it would soon become a massive alliance encompassing all of Rondel, much like the UN on Earth.
'If that happens, I'd be in a position like the UN Secretary-General?'
Good heavens, it feels like too much work.
But well...
I wasn't too worried.
Fortunately, I have capable subordinates and the ability to find such capable people.
'The relationship with the Bringham Empire, which was my biggest concern in Rondel, has been resolved.'
Now I just need to prepare for the future.
* * *
Brangish's lair, located in the Dragonlands.
With the time to visit Earth finally at hand, Brangish was in high spirits until the unexpected visit of a guest made him furrow his brow.
"Lady Stania, what brings you to a humble place like this?"
A massive dragon with silver scales, in contrast to Black Dragon Brangish's own body, poked its head into his lair.
The silver dragon named 'Stania' was a generation older, so no matter how individualistic dragons were, Brangish had no choice but to show respect.
Since no ranks or social classes exist among dragons, age was the ultimate authority.
[I hear you've been frequenting the human nations lately.]
So when someone far older than him brought up human nations, he couldn't help but tense up.
"W-Well, I found an amusing friend."
[A friend?]
A voice filled with bewilderment.
But Brangish had no qualms about calling a human a friend.
After all, it wasn't unheard of for dragons to form relationships with humans throughout history.
[Well, I suppose it doesn't matter.]
Fortunately, Stania didn't pick a fight over it.
In the first place, bringing up human society to Brangish was just her way of asking how he'd been.
In other words, she had other business.
[There's something you need to step in for.]
"Huh? Me? I'm busy."
[What can you do it's because you didn't show up at the last gathering. It's one of the few rules of the dragon race, so follow it.]
Faced with Stania's tone of "just shut up and listen," Brangish finally pouted in displeasure and waited for her to continue.
[The goddess's situation looks troubling. She seems to be planning something regarding Rondel. Since you happen to have deep ties with human society, approach the Saintess or the Holy King in secret and find out what's going on.]
However, the request she spat out as an order happened to be related to what he was already doing.